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28 September 2023
The Boeing Company to Pay $8.1 Million to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
The Boeing Company, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, has agreed to pay $8,100,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims and making false statements in connection with contracts with the U.S. Navy to manufacture the V-22 Osprey, a tiltrotor military aircraft.
The settlement announced today resolves allegations that from approximately 2007 through 2018, Boeing failed to comply with certain contractual manufacturing specifications in fabricating composite components for the V-22 at its facility in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. Specifically, the government contends that Boeing failed to perform required monthly testing on autoclaves used in the composite cure process and was not in compliance with additional requirements related to the testing.
“The government expects contractors to adhere to contractual obligations to which they have agreed and for which they have been paid,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates our commitment to hold accountable contractors who violate such obligations and undermine the integrity of the government’s procurement process.”
“All government contractors have a responsibility to follow the obligations and protocols set forth by their contracts,” said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “This office is committed to accountability and protection from false claims as shown in cases such as this.”
“Maintaining the integrity of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) supply chain is a top priority for the DoD Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” said Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty of the DCIS Northeast Field Office. “The DoD expects its contractors to adhere to contract specifications and provide quality products to the U.S. military. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of contractors circumventing required testing protocols and submitting false claims during the DoD procurement process.”
“The integrity of the military procurement process, and ultimately warfighter safety and our national security, demand that our contractors comply strictly with manufacturing requirements, including protocols for equipment testing,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Navy Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS and our partners remain committed to rooting out any noncompliance with manufacturing specifications that threatens warfighter readiness.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by former employees of Boeing who worked in composites fabrication and autoclave operations with the V-22 program. Under the qui tam provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Roath et al. v. The Boeing Company, No. 16-cv-6547 (E.D. Pa.). The Relators will receive $1,539,000 in connection with the settlement.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, with assistance from the DCIS, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, as well as subject matter experts from the Defense Contract Management Agency and the Naval Air Systems Command.
This matter was handled by Trial Attorney Amy Likoff of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel Sweet and David Degnan for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
SettlementTax preparer receives jail timeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The owner of Montalvo Tax Service has been ordered to federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jean Montalvo pleaded guilty June 30 to one count of making and subscribing a false return.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner varied upward and ordered Montalvo to serve 36 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by one year of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard how she suffered from numerous medical conditions and was sorry for her actions. However, Judge Hittner imposed the longer sentence due to her criminal history and the loss amount in the case. The court also ordered the defendant to pay $508,350 in restitution.
As part of her plea, Montalvo admitted she began filing tax returns under her business in Angleton in 2010. She charged a fixed fee and would either collect her from her clients’ income return or from a direct payment.
From 2014 through 2016, Montalvo willfully failed to report a portion of the amount she received for customer fees. As a result of her scheme, the IRS suffered a loss of $197,136.
She also filed approximately 58 federal income tax returns for the calendar years 2014 through 2017 which contained false and fraudulent items. Some of those included charitable contributions, qualified fuel property, business meals, business mileage and entertainment expenses. Based on these false and fraudulent filings, there was an additional tax harm of $311,214.
Montalvo was taken into custody after the sentencing where she will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rodolfo Ramirez and James Hu are prosecuting the case.
Southbridge Man Sentenced for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Southbridge man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for methamphetamine distribution.
Christopher Williams, 35, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to one year in prison, followed by a term of two years supervised release. In September 2021, Williams pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and one count of distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
On two occasions in January 2021, Williams sold multiple ounces of methamphetamine to an undercover officer for $4,500 in Southbridge.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Southbridge Police Chief Shane Woodson made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial E. Bennett of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
South L.A. Man Guilty of Illegal Gun Sales, Including ‘Ghost Guns’Read the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal judge today convicted a South Los Angeles man of participating in a scheme in which he and others illegally sold 22 guns and three silencers.
Jonathan Perez, 34, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, and one count of possessing an unregistered firearm silencer.
The evidence at trial showed that Perez and his co-conspirators sold 22 guns and three firearm silencers over the course of seven transactions to a confidential informant. In a text to an associate that was introduced as evidence in the trial, Perez said he was “selling straps to the cartel.” Perez personally manufactured many of the 18 “ghost guns” that were sold to the informant during the transactions in 2017.
Today’s conviction follows a three-day bench trial in August before United States District John A. Kronstadt, who scheduled a sentencing hearing for January 25. When he is sentenced, Perez will face a statutory maximum sentence of 25 years in federal prison as a result of his conviction on the three counts.
Two other defendants in this case pleaded guilty in 2018 and 2021 to separate charges stemming from a related narcotics conspiracy.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Declan T. Conroy of the General Crimes Section and Assistant United States Attorney Maria Jhai of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
Somerset County Man Charged with Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in Four DeathsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Somerset County, New Jersey, man was arrested for distributing fentanyl that resulted in four deaths and distributing cocaine, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Mauricio Gutierrez, 50, of Somerset, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with two counts of distribution of fentanyl that resulted in a death and one count of distribution of cocaine. Gutierrez made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III in Newark federal court and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On June 24, 2022, Gutierrez distributed controlled substances containing fentanyl in at least two separate transactions.
The first individual to whom Gutierrez distributed fentanyl used it, along with two other individuals. Shortly thereafter the three victims were located in a vehicle that was parked outside an establishment in North Brunswick, New Jersey, and all three were unresponsive. Two victims were pronounced dead and the third victim died two days later. Law enforcement located a white powder, which was determined to contain fentanyl, inside the vehicle.
In a separate transaction, Gutierrez distributed fentanyl to another individual who was located shortly thereafter in a vehicle in Franklin Township, New Jersey. The victim was unresponsive and was pronounced dead at the scene. Law enforcement located a white powder, which was determined to contain fentanyl, inside the vehicle.
Subsequent toxicology reports determined that the victims had lethal amounts of fentanyl in their blood.
On Sept. 27, 2023, law enforcement officials arrested Gutierrez after observing him engage in a hand-to-hand narcotics sale in Piscataway, New Jersey. The controlled substance that Gutierrez distributed tested positive for cocaine.
The charges of drug distribution resulting in death each carry a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison. The charge of distributing controlled substances carries a maximum penalty of 20 years. The three charges each carry a fine of up to $1 million.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Kurtz, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the North Brunswick Department, under the direction of Chief Joe Battaglia, and Franklin Township Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Quovella Maeweather, for their assistance.
The investigations leading to these charges is part of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force’s (OCDETF) operations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The government is represented by Shawn Barnes, Chief of the Office’s OCDETF/Narcotics Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Fell of the Office’s OCDETF/Narcotics Unit, in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
gutierrez.complaint.pdfSix People Indicted for Drug, Firearms, and Robbery Crimes Related to Robbery of Undercover ATF AgentRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MICHAEL LOTT, DIANTA TROPEZ, VERNELL WOODARD, QUINDELE ADDISON, SHEENA RUDOLPH, and CORIS ADDISON, all of New Orleans, Louisiana, were charged in an eleven-count superseding indictment by a federal grand jury on September 22, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Duane Evans.
According to the superseding indictment, DIANTA TROPEZ, VERNELL WOODARD, QUINDELE ADDISON, SHEENA RUDOLPH, and CORIS ADDISON conspired to and, in fact, distributed methamphetamine to an undercover Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) agent and another individual on August 29, 2023 at a Westbank, New Orleans apartment.
After this methamphetamine distribution deal was completed, VERNELL WOODARD arranged to sell an ounce of fentanyl to the undercover ATF agent on the following day. When the undercover ATF agent and the other individual arrived at the apartment complex the next day, WOODARD called and told them to come up to the same apartment. As they were coming upstairs, MICHAEL LOTT, armed with an AR-15 style weapon hid in an interior closet inside the apartment. Once the undercover ATF agent and the other individual were in the apartment, DIANTA TROPEZ arrived. TROPEZ entered the apartment, took a Glock pistol from the front pouch of his hoodie, and pointed the pistol at the undercover ATF agent and the other individual, demanding that they get down and hand over their possessions. Simultaneously, MICHAEL LOTT emerged from the closet and pointed the AR-15 style weapon at them, also , demanding that they turn over their possessions.
As a result of this criminal conduct, MICHAEL LOTT, DIANTA TROPEZ, VERNELL WOODARD, QUINDELE ADDISON, SHEENA RUDOLPH, and CORIS ADDISON are charged in an eleven-count superseding indictment.
Count One charges DIANTA TROPEZ, VERNELL WOODARD, QUINDELE ADDISON, SHEENA RUDOLPH, and CORIS ADDISON with conspiring to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Count Two charges DIANTA TROPEZ, VERNELL WOODARD, and QUINDELE ADDISON with distributing more than five grams of pure methamphetamine. The penalties for Counts One and Two are at least five years and up to forty years in prison, a fine of up to $5,000,000, and at least four years of supervised release.
Count Three charges MICHAEL LOTT, DIANTA TROPEZ, and VERNELL WOODARD with conspiring to rob a person of money belonging to the United States. Count Four charges MICHAEL LOTT, DIANTA TROPEZ, and VERNELL WOODARD with a substantive count of armed robbery of a person of money belonging to the United States. Count Five charges MICHAEL LOTT, DIANTA TROPEZ, and VERNELL WOODARD with brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, namely the armed robbery charged in Count Four. Count Six charges MICHAEL LOTT, DIANTA TROPEZ, and VERNELL WOODARD with assaulting an officer of the United States with a deadly weapon.
The penalties for these robbery-related counts are as follows. For the conspiracy in Count Three, a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. For the robbery in Count Four, a penalty of up to twenty-five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. As to the brandishing a firearm charge in Count Five, a mandatory minimum of at least seven years up to life in prison that must run consecutive to every other term of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to five years of supervised release. For the assault on a federal officer charged in Count Six, up to twenty years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
Counts Seven, Eight, and Nine charged MICHAEL LOTT, DIANTA TROPEZ, and QUINDELE ADDISON, respectively, with being felons in possession of firearms. The penalty for each defendant is up to fifteen years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. Count Ten charges QUINDELE ADDISON with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, namely the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine charged in Count One. The penalty for that crime is a mandatory minimum of at least five years up to life in prison that must run consecutive to every other term of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to five years of supervised release. Finally, QUINDELE ADDISON and VERNELL WOODARD are charged in Count Eleven with maintaining a drug involved premises, which is punishable by up to twenty years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, and up to three years of supervised release. Each count also requires payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the superseding indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The investigation giving rise to the superseding indictment was conducted primarily by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Louisiana State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department and Crimestoppers GNO. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Haller of the Violent Crime Unit and Nolan Paige, Chief of the Narcotics Unit.
Six Michigan Businesses Agree to Pay over $500,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Improper Paycheck Protection Program LoansRead the Press Release
DETROIT– United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today that six Michigan businesses have agreed to pay $534,630 to settle allegations that the businesses violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by knowingly making false certifications to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) relating to loan eligibility under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
Joining in the announcement was Brady Ipock, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the SBA’s Office of the Inspector General, Central Region.
Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to provide emergency financial support to the millions of Americans suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in forgivable loans to certain small businesses and other entities struggling to pay employees and other business expenses. PPP loan applicants were required to certify that neither the applicant, any owner of the applicant, nor any business owned or controlled by any of them, had ever obtained a direct or guaranteed loan from the SBA that was currently delinquent or had defaulted in the last seven years and caused a loss to the government.
In 2020 and 2021, Burton Hotel, Inc., 8 Mile & Hubble, Inc., Gather of Troy, Inc., Alyass Toledo, Inc., DB Troy Pub, LLC, and Fort Wayne Business Hotel, Inc. collectively obtained 10 PPP loans. The United States contended that these businesses falsely certified that they were eligible for the PPP loans, when in fact they were categorically ineligible because, in the last seven years, one of their owners had defaulted on a prior SBA loan and caused a loss to the government.
“PPP loans were intended to provide critical relief to help small businesses here in Michigan and elsewhere,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “Our office will continue to investigate and hold accountable any individual or business that obtained relief funds under the PPP or other COVID-19 assistance programs that they didn’t deserve.”
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Gentner from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel and the SBA Office of the Inspector General.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by visiting the webpage of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section, which can be found here. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can also report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Braden Rogers, age 23, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after he plead guilty in federal court on March 22, 2023, to Possession of Child Pornography.
Evidence at Rogers’ sentencing hearing established that between May 1, 2020, and August 10, 2021, Rogers possessed over 100 videos of child sexual abuse material including material depicting prepubescent children or children who had not attained the age of 12. Evidence further established that Rogers used social media to distribute material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct or sexual abuse and exploitation of an infant or toddler to others.
Rogers was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 66 months’ imprisonment and fined $500. He was also ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution to the victims. Rogers must also serve a 5-year term of supervised released following the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Rogers is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit and investigated by the Iowa Division of Inspections & Appeals, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Sioux City Police Department, The Drug Enforcement Administration, Iowa Medicaid Fraud Unit, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-04020.
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Sacramento Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Bryan Tamblyn, 39, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court records, between July 2018 and August 2019, Tamblyn used a BitTorrent client to knowingly receive thousands of files containing visual depictions of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Some of those files included children under the age of 12.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force, the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina McCall is prosecuting the case.
Tamblyn is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 11, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta. Tamblyn faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the Court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Repeat felon sentenced for illegally possessing loaded assault rifleRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 33-year-old Houston resident and repeat violent felon has been ordered to prison for illegally possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Joseph Terrell Goody pleaded guilty May 25.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett has now ordered Goody to serve 57 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release.
On Sept. 26, 2020, law enforcement stopped Goody for traffic violations. At that time, they found him to be holding an assault rifle loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition.
A struggle ensued, but authorities were able to subdue detain Goody and secure the weapon.
The investigation revealed Goody has served multiple state prison sentences for felony convictions including robbery, burglary of a habitation, continuous assault of a family member and possession of a controlled substance. As such, he is prohibited per federal law of possessing firearms or ammunition.
Goody will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Houston Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Tallichet prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods Cases Result in Federal Prison Sentences for Two MenRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Two men were sentenced today for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced the following defendants:
Gregory Dewayne McCummings, 34, of Lake Charles, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, with credit for time served. According to information introduced in court, McCummings was involved in a traffic stop with deputies from the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office. During the encounter, McCummings was searched, and deputies found a clear plastic baggie in his pants pocket. He admitted that the baggie was used to store marijuana and previously did contain marijuana. Inside his vehicle, deputies found a backpack with a loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber firearm, a large plastic baggie containing multiple smaller plastic baggies with suspected marijuana, a clear plastic bottle containing a liquid believed to be PCP, and a clear plastic bottle containing suspected ecstasy pills. McCummings has a prior felony conviction and knew he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition. He pleaded guilty to the charge on May 31, 2023.
Melvin Blake, Jr., 30, of Lake Charles. Blake was sentenced to 21 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, with credit for time served. On November 2, 2021, detectives with Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office executed a permitted search of a residence on Ellis Street in Lake Charles, wherein Blake was present. Deputies recovered a Smith & Wesson, Model 910, 9mm semi-automatic pistol from the bedroom. Blake admitted that the firearm belonged to him and that he had purchased it from someone for $150. He has a prior felony conviction and knew he was prohibited from possessing the firearm. Blake pleaded guilty to the charge on May 31, 2023.
These two cases were investigated by ATF and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel J. McCoy.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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Poly-Drug Trafficker Is Sentenced to 10 YearsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney sentenced a poly-drug trafficker to 10 years in prison late yesterday, announced Dena J. king, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the term of incarceration, Deion Rashaad Thompson, 29, of Charlotte, was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release.
According to filed court documents and court proceedings, between January 2021 and June 2022, law enforcement conducting an ongoing investigation into drug trafficking networks in Charlotte, identified Thompson as a local drug distributor. Court records show that law enforcement working in an undercover capacity and with cooperating individuals arranged multiple controlled buys of illicit narcotics with Thompson, including fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and cocaine base. One of the drug transactions occurred at a residence in Charlotte known to law enforcement from numerous drug overdoses that had occurred there.
On March 10, 2023, Thompson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl, three counts of distribution of fentanyl, and one count of distribution of methamphetamine.
Thompson is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King credited the Western District’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and thanked the FBI and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigative efforts.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Pinon Man Found Guilty of Murder of Missing Navajo WomanRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Yesterday, a jury found Tre C. James, 31, of Pinon, Arizona, guilty of the First Degree Murder of Jamie Yazzie. The jury also found James guilty of several acts of domestic violence committed against three former intimate and dating partners. The guilty verdict followed a seven-day jury trial before the Honorable Douglas L. Rayes. Sentencing is set for January 29, 2024. James faces a mandatory life sentence for his crimes.
James was charged with nine federal crimes. Counts 1 and 2 alleged that James shot and killed Jamie Yazzie, a Pinon woman who went missing in the summer of 2019, and whose remains were found on the Hopi Indian Reservation in November 2021. Ms. Yazzie was listed as a missing person by both Federal and Tribal law enforcement. The investigation into Ms. Yazzie’s disappearance was headed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, but multiple agencies provided invaluable assistance at all stages, including the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Services, Navajo Nation Police Department, Bureau of Indian Affairs (Hopi), and Navajo County Sherriff’s Office.
While investigating Ms. Yazzie’s disappearance, law enforcement uncovered several acts of domestic violence that James committed against other women. The jury unanimously found James guilty of these domestic violence counts as well, Counts 3 through 9.
“Vindicating the rights of missing and murdered indigenous persons requires all the energy and compassion we have,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino.“That means not only investigation and prosecution of tough cases, but also community engagement, cultural competence, and active listening to next of kin and other family members.”
FBI Special Agent Dustin Drace led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer E. LaGrange and Sharon K. Sexton, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. Ms. Yazzie’s family, including her mother, father, grandmother, and other relatives and friends attended all seven days of trial, and want to express gratitude to their attorney, Darlene Gomez, for doing the same.
The Crime Victims’ Rights Act recognizes the importance of private lawyers in amplifying victims’ rights, and the Federal Crime Victim Assistance Fund is available to pay travel and lodging costs and per diem for next of kin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is committed to addressing the persistent violence endured by Native American families and communities in the state of Arizona, including by working with Tribal nations to address the important issues of missing or murdered indigenous persons, and acts of domestic violence. This office and the Department of Justice view this work as a priority for its law enforcement components.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-08073-PCT-DLR
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-139_James# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Palm Beach County Career Offender Sentenced to More than Twelve Years in Federal Prison for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On September 22, 2023, career offender Monfort Desir, 36, of Lake Worth, Florida was sentenced by United States District Judge Aileen M. Cannon to 151 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl.
According to the court record, the investigation of Desir began when law enforcement searched a decedent’s phone relating to an overdose death and identified a phone number related to narcotic sales. Thereafter, an undercover law enforcement officer contacted Desir and requested fentanyl.
On February 23, 2022, Desir distributed fentanyl capsules to the undercover officer. Xylazine and para-fluorofentanyl were also identified in the fentanyl capsules that Desir distributed. Para-fluorofentanyl is a fentanyl analogue. Xylazine is a non-opioid sedative that is not approved for human use and can cause amputation of the limbs. Narcan is ineffective in the event of an overdose on xylazine.
Desir continued to distribute fentanyl capsules to the undercover officer on five separate occasions. Xylazine and para-fluorofentanyl continued to be identified in the fentanyl capsules.
Prior to his commission of the offenses, Desir had two prior, separate felony convictions for the sale of cocaine. Desir was therefore subject to being sentenced as a career offender under the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) made the announcement.
Mr. Lapointe praised the investigative efforts of DEA and PBSO. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon O’Shea Darsch prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-80050.
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POSTPONED: United States Attorney Will Thompson and Law Enforcement to Hold Press Conference in Child Sex Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
***UPDATE: The sentencing hearing for Larry Allen Clay Jr. has been continued. As a result, the press conference has been postponed.***
Initial advisory:
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson and law enforcement officials will hold a press conference on Thursday, September 28, 2023, following the sentencing of Larry Allen Clay Jr.
The press conference is contingent upon the completion of the sentencing hearing, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. The time of the press conference will be announced once the hearing concludes.
WHAT: Press conference for the sentencing of Larry Allen Clay Jr.
WHEN: Thursday, September 28, 2023. Time TBA.
WHERE: United State’s Attorney’s Office, Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse, 300 Virginia Street East, Charleston.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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Orange County Doctor of Osteopathy Indicted in Quarter Billion Dollar Fraud Targeting Pandemic Program for Uninsured PatientsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury has charged a doctor who operated clinics in Westminster and Garden Grove with defrauding a COVID-19 program for uninsured patients by submitting more than a quarter billion dollars in claims – ultimately receiving about $150 million in payments – for services not covered under the program or simply not provided, the Justice Department announced today.
Anthony Hao Dinh, 64, of Newport Coast – a licensed doctor of osteopathy who was an ear, nose and throat specialist, as well as a facial plastic surgeon – was charged Wednesday in an 18-count indictment with defrauding the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) COVID-19 Uninsured Program.
Dinh was initially charged in this case in a criminal complaint filed April 10. Today’s indictment significantly expands the case by increasing the total amount of fraudulent claims allegedly submitted to HRSA, adding money laundering charges and further allegations about other schemes to defraud pandemic relief programs, and charging Dinh with obstructing the government’s investigation into improper health care billing.
The indictment charges Dinh with 12 counts of wire fraud, five counts of money laundering (with two of those charges alleging the transfer of more than $11 million to personal stock trading accounts) and one count of obstructing justice. Dinh, who is free on a $7 million bond, is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment on October 30 in United States District Court in Santa Ana.
This is the largest fraud scheme in the nation targeting the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program uncovered at this time.
Two other defendants charged with Dinh in April also face new charges:
- Hanna (“Hang”) Trinh Dinh, 65, of Lake Forest, who is Dinh’s sister, has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and admitted helping submit fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications that sought more than $260,000 in COVID relief funds; and
- Matthew Hoang Ho, 66, of Melbourne, Florida, was charged on May 2 in a grand jury indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and money laundering in relation to the PPP and EIDL applications, and he is scheduled to go on trial on February 6, 2024.
In relation to the fraud against HRSA, over the course of about nine months – from July 2020 to March 2021 – Dinh allegedly submitted fraudulent claims for the treatment of patients who were insured, services that were not rendered, and services that were not medically necessary. “As a result of these false and fraudulent claims, HRSA made payments to defendant Dinh, through [his medical] practices, in the approximate amount of $150 million.”
The Uninsured Program was designed to prevent the further spread of the pandemic by providing access to uninsured patients for testing and treatment. The Uninsured Program was also designed to provide financial support to health care providers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic by reimbursing them for services provided to uninsured individuals.
In relation to the PPP and EIDL program, the indictment alleges that Dinh submitted, or caused to be submitted, approximately 65 fraudulent loan applications that sought nearly $8 million and caused the programs to disburse approximately $2.8 million in funds.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If he were to be convicted in this case, Dinh would face up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud and three of the money laundering charges, up to 10 years for two of the money laundering charges, and up to 20 years for the obstruction of justice charge that alleges he submitted false patient records in response to a grand jury subpoena.
The case against Dinh, his sister and Ho is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General; the FBI; IRS Criminal Investigation; the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; the AMTRAK Office of Inspector General; and the California Department of Health Care Services.
Assistant United States Attorney Roger A. Hsieh of the Major Frauds Section, and Justice Department Assistant Chief Justin M. Woodard and Trial Attorney Helen H. Lee of the Fraud Section are prosecuting this case.
Odessa Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of MethRead the Press Release
PECOS – An Odessa man pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Angel Vargas-Valdivia, 23, attempted to enter the United States from Mexico through the Presidio Port of Entry on August 8. During a Customs and Border Protection inspection, officers noticed evidence of tampering on the rear quarter panels of Vargas’s vehicle, as well as abnormally heavy vehicle doors. X-ray imaging revealed anomalies within the vehicle’s quarter panels, side doors, rear cargo door, trunk and roof. Further inspection revealed 154 bundles weighing approximately 72.2 kilograms. A crystal-like substance extracted from the bundles tested positive for properties of methamphetamine.
Vargas pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine. A sentencing date has not been set. Vargas faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas and HSI Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola, El Paso Division, made the announcement.
HSI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Van Greenbaum is prosecuting the case.
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North Carolina man sentenced for being a felon in possession of a gunRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Michael Alan Jones, 24, of Charlotte, North Carolina, who was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, was sentenced to time served (10 months) by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles E. Moynihan, who handled the case, stated that in February 2019, Jones was convicted in Alamance County, North Carolina, of two felony crimes, and as a result is legally prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. On March 19, 2022, in the Town of Leroy, in Genesee County, Jones possessed a semiautomatic rifle and ammunition in a vehicle in the vicinity of Route 33 and Griswold Road and School Road.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff William Sheron, Jr., and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
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New York Man Sentenced for Fraud Scheme and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that EMMANUEL COBBS, age 34, of New York, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to 48 months in federal prison for his role in opening fraudulent bank accounts in New Orleans. COBBS’s sentence is comprised of 24 months for bank fraud conspiracy, and a mandatory consecutive sentence of 24 months for aggravated identity theft. Judge Milazzo also sentenced COBBS to three years of supervised release and the payment of a $200 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, in February 2020, in New Orleans, COBBS and a co-conspirator, also a New York resident, opened fraudulent checking accounts in other people’s names without their permission. The defendants used these victims’ accounts to cash counterfeit checks drawn from other customers’ accounts. They also fraudulently obtained, and used, debit cards to rent vehicles, allowing them to avoid being easily tracked.
This investigation began with the discovery of fake identification cards, discarded at a rental car agency at the Louis Armstrong International Airport. Homeland Security Investigations developed evidence to show that the man pictured in the fake cards (COBBS’s co-conspirator) had committed fraudulent transactions at various bank branches. Agents later learned that COBBS had assisted in the fraud.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Field Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Payne, Senior Litigation Counsel, is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Carjacking and Weapons ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, TEVIS STANTON, age 22, a resident of Orleans Parish, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle to imprisonment for 114 months, 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $200 special assessment fee after pleading to two counts of a four-count indictment.
Count 1 of the indictment charged STANTON with carjacking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119(1). Count 2 of the indictment charged STANTON with using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(ii).
According to court documents, STANTON committed a carjacking on March 22, 2022, in the 1200 block of Fern Street in New Orleans. In order to gain access to the vehicle during the carjacking, STANTON threatened to kill the victims as he was brandishing a firearm. Later, after the vehicle was located at an apartment complex, detectives identified STANTON as the perpetrator of the carjacking.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Federal Gun Control ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CHARLES ROY, age 34, of New Orleans, pled guilty to a three-count indictment charging him with possession with intent to distribute forty (40) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B), felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, on July 20, 2021, Louisiana State Police Troopers providing security at the Hampton Inn and Suites Hotel in New Orleans observed ROY, who had an outstanding arrest warrant, at the hotel. The following day, troopers and Special Agents with the Office of Homeland Security arrested ROY. While advising ROY of his rights, the troopers and agents smelled marijuana on ROY and the backpack he was carrying. The troopers and agents searched the backpack and seized two bags containing approximately fifty (50) grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl and heroin, a digital scale, and a FN Model Five-Seven, 5.7x28 millimeter semi-automatic handgun, with an aftermarket “UTG” attached laser/flashlight, and a loaded magazine containing 26 rounds.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Louisiana State Police and the Office of Homeland Security. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.
New Haven Teen Admits Assisting Armed Robbery of North Haven Gas StationRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ROBERT SMITH, also known as “Robbie,” 19, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to offenses related to his role in the gunpoint robbery of a North Haven gas station last year.
According to court documents and statements made in court, ATF and the New Haven Police Department investigators identified an individual who is alleged to have committed a series of gunpoint robberies and a carjacking that occurred in late June and early July 2022. The investigation revealed that Smith assisted the individual commit an armed robbery of a Shell Gas Station located at 195 State Street in North Haven on July 6, 2022.
Smith pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting Hobbs Act robbery, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and one count of aiding and abetting the carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least seven years.
Smith has been detained since January 3, 2023.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) with the assistance of the New Haven, East Haven, West Haven, Ansonia, and North Haven Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel J. Gentile and Sean P. Mahard.
U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the State’s Attorneys for the Judicial Districts of New Haven and Ansonia/Milford for their cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and Smith’s co-defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Middlesex County Company Admits Undervaluing Gold Jewelry to Evade Customs DutiesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, company and two individuals who own or control the business admitted that they evaded U.S. customs duties on gold jewelry imported into the United States, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
According to the admissions and contentions of the United States in the settlement agreement:
21st Millennium Inc. is a company based in Iselin, New Jersey, that buys and sells gold jewelry and is owned or controlled by Iqbal Virani and Aqib Virani. From Jan. 1, 2017, through March 31, 2020, 21st Millennium was the importer of record on more than 80 customs entries, each of which consisted of jewelry manufactured in foreign countries and imported into the United States. 21st Millennium was responsible for making truthful and accurate disclosures to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, concerning the total value of the merchandise that it imported into the United States. The Viranis caused 21st Millennium to provide the company’s customs broker with commercial invoices that failed to set forth the total value of the jewelry. By undervaluing the merchandise, 21st Millennium evaded paying $401,852 in customs duties that should have been paid. Under the settlement agreement, 21M and the Viranis agreed to pay a total of $1 million to the United States.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo in New York, with the investigation leading to the settlement.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David V. Simunovich of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
21m.settlement.pdfMiddle District of Georgia Receives $7.6+ Million in Public Safety GrantsRead the Press Release
Macon, Ga. – U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary announced today that the Justice Department is awarding more than $7.6 million to support public safety and community justice activities in the Middle District of Georgia. The grants, from the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will help build community capacity to curb violence, serve victims and youth, improve behavioral health response, expand officer safety and support evidence-based juvenile justice strategies.
“These grants address many of the greatest concerns our citizens have today, which boil down to safer communities for all,” said U.S. Attorney Leary. “This kind of support for our community and law enforcement partners’ efforts goes hand in hand with our focused efforts to reduce violence and hold the most violent offenders accountable.”
15 grants for local community, civic, government and law enforcement groups in the cities of Albany, Americus, Athens, Butler, Columbus, Macon, Thomasville, Tifton and Warner Robins were announced for the Middle District of Georgia, including but limited to:
- Area Committee to Improve Opportunities Now, Inc., based in Athens, received $784,194 to supports its 36-county program providing employment coaching and mentoring for young people before and after their release from the criminal justice system.
- This WORKS, Inc., in partnership with the Dougherty County School System in Albany, received a $999,524 grant to provide a schoolwide behavioral health program, including antiviolence education.
- The Muscogee County School District in Columbus received a $998,567 grant to support its efforts to prevent group-based retaliatory violence with programs supporting educators and law enforcement.
- Columbus received $119,951 to purchase items in support of its law enforcement, including four ballistic vests, 64 protective stab vests for jail personnel, two K-9 units and a community-wide early warning smart phone app for emergency notification.
- Macon-Bibb received $385,000 to expand its domestic violence unit with an additional investigator and prosecutor.
- The Taylor County School District in Butler received $999,952 to improve school safety and increase access to mental health care for students.
- Thomasville received $437,185 to launch a law enforcement and mental health co-responder program to assist with real-time responses to community crises.
Georgia received 89 awards totaling $148 million dollars. More information about the awards announced today can be found by visiting www.ojp.gov/funding/fy23awards.
“Everyone in this country deserves to be safe in their communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why, in addition to continuing our efforts to identify and prosecute the most violent criminals, the Justice Department is putting every available resource to work to support the efforts of our law enforcement and community partners nationwide. This significant investment will go directly to state and local programs that support the victims of crime, support officer safety and wellness, build the public trust in law enforcement essential to public safety and help make all of our communities safer.”
The more than 3,700 OJP grants being awarded this fiscal year will support state, local and community-based efforts and evidence-based interventions that reduce violence, crime and recidivism while delivering treatment and services to those at-risk of justice system involvement. Funding will expand partnerships between criminal justice professionals and behavioral health experts, help people safely and successfully transition from confinement back to their communities, reach crime victims in underserved areas, steer young people away from justice system contact, improve the management of sex offenders and support a wide range of research and statistical activities that will help justice system professionals meet community safety challenges.
“Across the country, the Justice Department is working side-by-side with our partners in state and local law enforcement to combat violent crime by using our federal resources to amplify their work on the front lines,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The billions of dollars in grants announced today will augment those efforts and the tools law enforcement is using to curb violence, counter deadly drug abuse and promote safety and public trust. Together with our state and local partners, the Department will continue to do everything we can to protect the communities we all serve.”
“The Department of Justice is investing in community-based approaches to violence prevention, law enforcement health and wellness, Tribal courts, improved services for victims, research and data collection efforts, reentry programs and much more,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The grants announced today further our commitment to working with our state, Tribal and local partners to increase public safety, build police-community trust, and ensure safe, healthy and just communities for all.”
“Every sector of our society — not only the justice system, but nonprofit and faith-based groups, local leaders, and advocates, and people with lived experience who serve as credible messengers — plays a critical role in ensuring public safety and public health,” said OJP Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon. “The Office of Justice Programs is proud to make these substantial investments in building community infrastructure and supporting communities as co-producers of safety and justice.”
Grants will support five major community safety and justice priorities:
- Awards totaling more than $1 billion will promote safety and strengthen trust, helping communities tackle the proliferation of gun violence in America and restore bonds of trust between community residents and the justice system. Grants will support innovative and evidence-based strategies designed to prevent and reduce violent crime, support the health and safety of law enforcement and public safety professionals, promote rehabilitation and reentry success, and address the rise in hate crimes across the country.
- More than $437 million in grant awards will accelerate justice system reforms designed to achieve equal justice and fair treatment for all. Grants will expand access to services among historically underserved and marginalized communities, reduce counterproductive involvement in the justice system, increase opportunities for diversion and build pathways to treatment for people with substance use and mental health disorders.
- Over $192 million will improve the fairness and effectiveness of the juvenile justice system by supporting developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive interventions for youth. Funding will ensure that young people are served at home in their communities whenever possible, are equipped to transition to a healthy adulthood free of crime and are protected from violence and abuse.
- More than $1.7 billion will expand access to victim services by investing in programs that provide trauma-informed and culturally responsive services to victims. Funding will support thousands of local victim assistance programs across the country and victim compensation programs in every state and U.S. territory, while helping these programs build their capacity to reach those disproportionately affected by crime and victimization.
- Over $418 million in awards will advance science and innovation to strengthen the base of knowledge that policymakers and practitioners can use to design and deploy effective community safety strategies. Awards will support research and data collection on a wide range of public safety issues, help maintain timely and accurate criminal history records, and improve the capacity of crime labs and forensic analysts to solve crimes, absolve the innocent and deliver justice to victims.
In addition, OJP will award more than $611 million to continue its support of other previously funded programs and congressionally directed spending.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ANA GABRIELA FLORES-GONZALEZ (“FLORES”), age 32, a Mexican National, pleaded guilty on September 28, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), 841(b)(1)(B), and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, on March 10, 2022, officers conducted an interdiction traffic stop and seized approximately 4,889 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 1,978 grams of suspected cocaine from FLORES, that she was transporting from Houston, Texas to Sumter, South Carolina.
FLORES faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of ten years, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000, at least five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Her sentencing is scheduled for January 18, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the Biloxi Police Department in Biloxi, Mississippi. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.
Mexican Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Roberto Balbuena-Ignacio, 36, of Mexico, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for his involvement in a methamphetamine conspiracy. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Balbuena-Ignacio to 235 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Balbuena-Ignacio will begin a 10-year term of supervised release.
Beginning in May 2021, an informant working for the DEA contacted Balbuena-Ignacio to purchase methamphetamine. Arrangements were made by Balbuena-Ignacio and on May 20, 2021, the informant met with an individual later identified as co-defendant Cash C. Cosgriff, and successfully purchased one pound of methamphetamine.
Two additional drug deals, on June 23, 2021, and July 14, 2021, were also arranged with the informant meeting Balbuena-Ignacio and purchasing one pound of methamphetamine on each occasion.
As part of the investigation, it was determined that a residence located in the area of 10th and Center in Omaha was being utilized by members of the conspiracy. A search warrant was executed on this residence on August 2, 2021, after Teodoro Alejandro Castillo-Rincon and Francisco Martinez-Mungia were observed carrying bags in. During the search almost 57 pounds of methamphetamine and 2 kilograms of cocaine were found.
Cosgriff was sentenced on August 17, 2023, to 120 months’ imprisonment. Castillo-Rincon was sentenced on June 26, 2023, to 135 months’ imprisonment. Martinez-Mungia was sentenced on October 19, 2022, to 135 months’ imprisonment. Balbuena-Ignacio had a greater criminal history than his co-conspirators which resulted in him receiving a higher sentence.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Omaha Police Department.
Massachusetts Owner of a Garbage Collection Business Pleads Guilty to Filing a False Tax Return and Cash StructuringRead the Press Release
A Massachusetts woman pleaded guilty today to filing a false tax return and engaging in a pattern of financial transactions designed to avoid bank currency transaction reporting requirements.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Michele L. Letourneau of Charlton was the President, Treasurer and majority owner of a commercial trash collection and removal business. Between January 2016 and December 2020, Letourneau skimmed business income by directing her office staff to separate checks written to her company that contained “Inc.” in the payee description from those that did not. Those checks that included “Inc.” were logged into the company’s customer tracking system and accounting ledgers and deposited into the business bank account.
The separated checks were given to Letourneau after being logged into the company’s customer tracking system, but not into the accounting ledgers. Instead, Letourneau regularly batch deposited a vast majority of the checks missing the “Inc.” into a personal bank account she jointly held with another, purposely keeping each deposit under $10,000 to illegally avoid bank reporting requirements for currency transactions in excess of $10,000, commonly referred to as structuring. Once available, Letourneau would then withdraw the exact amount as was deposited. In all, Letourneau admitted to structuring 196 deposits and withdrawals knowing that banks were required to issue a report for a currency transaction in excess of $10,000.
In total, Letourneau structured approximately $1,261,724 worth of transactions from 2016 to 2020 and did not disclose this income or the bank account to the preparers of her corporate and personal tax returns. Letourneau admitted to filing a false 2018 personal return that substantially underreported her income for that year and, in total, her conduct during this period caused a tax loss to the IRS in the amount $472,167.
Letourneau is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 4, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for filing a false return and five years for cash structuring. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Jorge Almonte and Trial Attorney George Meggali of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Man who arranged cross-country drug shipment sent to prisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 49-year-old Alamo resident has been sentenced to prison for selling eight kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Daniel Zintura Sr. pleaded guilty May 25 to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has how ordered Zintura to serve 151 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence regarding Zintura’s criminal history which included a prior federal drug trafficking conviction for which he was on supervised release at the time he committed this offense. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Zintura’s repeated criminal conduct, the large amount of narcotics involved in his case and his prior conviction for the same offense. Judge Ramos also noted how drugs can destroy communities.
In March 2022, Zintura arranged for the transportation of eight kilograms of cocaine across the United States to Maryland for him. On March 17, 2022, he met another individual at a local home improvement store to hand off the cocaine to be transported to Houston. Law enforcement immediately arrested him and took him into custody.
Zintura will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara J. De Peña prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Mexican man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a Mexican-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that sought to establish a cocaine distribution network in the Boston area.
Joel Enrique Armenta Castro, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to four years in prison and two years of supervised release. On June 29, 2023, Castro pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
In August 2022, an investigation began into a DTO based in Mexico that was seeking to set up a cocaine distribution network in the Boston area. The investigation subsequently identified Castro a member of the DTO who came to Boston to facilitate the distribution of multiple kilograms of cocaine. On Aug. 29, 2022, Castro drove from Boston to a service plaza on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Ludlow where he obtained 15 kilograms of cocaine intended for distribution by the DTO from the back of a tractor trailer.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Cameron Woods, 44, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Woods to 180 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On April 16, 2022, Lincoln Police Department officers noticed a vehicle sitting at an intersection with a green light in Lincoln. Officers got out to check on the vehicle and saw Woods asleep at the wheel. Officers also saw a partially empty bottle of liquor on the passenger seat.
When officers attempted to put the vehicle in park, Woods woke up and grabbed a purple Crown Royal bag from the center console area that contained a clear self-seal baggie with 110 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine verified through forensic lab testing. Woods was arrested and subsequently indicted on the drug trafficking crime. A criminal history check revealed that Woods had previously been convicted of trafficking methamphetamine in 2011 and was sentenced to a 6-year prison term.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department.
Madison Man Sentenced to 26 Months for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Shawndale James, 26, Madison, Wisconsin was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 26 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. James pleaded guilty to this charge on June 12, 2023.
On December 21, 2021, Madison police officers stopped a vehicle in which James was a passenger. Officers observed a loaded .40 caliber handgun sticking out from under the seat where James was sitting. James denied that he knew about or touched the gun. The Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory later examined swabs taken from the gun and concluded that James’ DNA matched the DNA found on the gun.
James had prior felony convictions for driving a stolen vehicle and conspiracy to deliver heroin. At the time of his arrest, he was out on bail in a state case charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson said that James had a substantial criminal history and had to make a choice between spending time with his family or peers who are negative influences on the street. Judge Peterson noted that if James does not make a change now, he is facing a lot more time in prison. Judge Peterson also ordered three years of supervised release to follow the prison term.
The charge against James was the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Lutcher Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Controlled Substances Act ViolationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RYAN FREMIN, age 39, a resident of Lutcher, Louisiana, pled guilty to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute, five hundred (500) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A) and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, on July 2, 2020, a confidential source informed agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration that FREMIN was returning from Houston, Texas to the Eastern District of Louisiana, with a quantity of methamphetamine that he intended to distribute. Agents intercepted FREMIN in Geismar, Louisiana and seized approximately two pounds of methamphetamine from him. FREMIN made four prior trips to Houston. On each of those trips, FREMIN met with Leonel Gonzalez, obtained a kilogram of methamphetamine, and returned to the Eastern District of Louisiana to distribute the methamphetamine.
FREMIN faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of ten years up to a maximum of life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000.00, a term of supervised release of at least five years, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.
Lowell Man Indicted for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man has been indicted in connection with the April 2023 robberies of three banks in Worcester.
Joselito Santiago-Matias, 33, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Worcester on one count of bank robbery and two counts of armed bank robbery. He will appear in federal court in Worcester at a later date.
According to the indictment, Santiago-Matias robbed a Santander Bank in Worcester on April 3, 2023; a Berkshire Bank in Worcester using a dangerous weapon on April 12, 2023; and a Santander Bank in Worcester using a dangerous weapon on April 19, 2023.
The charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of armed bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to up to 25 years, five years of supervised release and a fine up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Worcester Police Department Interim Chief Paul B. Saucier made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan D. O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Local Property Owner to Pay $90,458 to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act Violations Arising from HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher ProgramRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced today that a local property owner will pay $90,458 to settle allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by charging a low-income tenant more than the amount permitted under the property owner’s agreement with the government under the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8).
The government alleges that under the Housing Choice Voucher Program, David Krmpotich of Montgomery County was permitted to charge rent in an amount agreed upon by Krmpotich, the tenant, and a public housing agency administering the rent subsidy program. Under the program rules and the parties’ lease, the tenant was required to pay Krmpotich rent equal to a portion of the tenant’s income, and the federal government was required to pay the balance of the agreed total rent. Krmpotich was prohibited from charging the tenant more than the tenant’s allocation of the total rent amount. Nevertheless, the government alleges Krmpotich demanded that the tenant pay an additional $125.00 to $185.00 per month in unlawful and undisclosed supplemental rent payments.
United States Attorney Romero stated, “A deal is a deal. Property owners receiving rent subsidies from government’s coffers must live with the deal they agree to and not secretly and illegally demand more from tenants, whether money or anything else of value. The conduct alleged here is an affront to the integrity of the Housing Choice Voucher Program – a program designed to promote safe and affordable housing for low-income tenants – and to the taxpayers who pay for the program. My office is committed to bring accountability to those who break the rules.”
“This settlement represents our commitment to protecting HUD beneficiaries from bad actors seeking to enrich themselves by preying on HUD-housing participants,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. “HUD OIG will continue to pursue and bring to justice landlords who fraudulently overcharge HUD-assisted tenants in violation of Federal law.”
The allegations against Krmpotich were brought to the attention of the United States by a whistleblower. The False Claims Act provides for whistleblowers to receive a portion of the amount recovered because of their disclosures. In this case, the whistleblower will receive $16,282 of the settlement proceeds.
The government’s investigation was led by Assistant United States Attorney Joel M. Sweet, Investigator Jeffrey Braun, and investigators from HUD OIG. The whistleblower lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Catherine Spearman Jackson v. David Krmpotich, No. 22-cv-1613 (E.D. Pa.).
The claims asserted by the United States are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Las Cruces Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening U.S. CongresswomanRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Michael David Fox pleaded guilty to interstate transmission of threatening communication. Fox, 60, of Las Cruces, will remain on conditions pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
According to court documents, on May 18, 2023, Fox left a voicemail for the office of a congresswoman for the District of Texas, calling her a “tranny and a pedophile” and threatening to “put a bullet” in her face. Law enforcement was able to trace the call to Fox. On May 26, 2023, Special Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation interviewed Fox at his residence in Las Cruces and he admitted to making the threat. Fox claimed to believe that transgender individuals are running governments, kingdoms, and corporations all over the world, causing the world’s misery and that he was part of a movement that was going to engage in “eradicating” those people.
In his plea agreement, Fox acknowledged that he was not intoxicated or under the influence of drugs when he made the call and that he was not merely making a political argument, idle talk, an exaggeration, or a joke.
At sentencing, Fox faces up to 5 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised probation.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Lindy Carpenter is prosecuting the case.
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Kenton County Man Sentenced to 204 Months for Armed Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. — An Erlanger, Ky., man, Johnathan Paul Hornsby, 32, was sentenced to 204 months in federal prison on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to his guilty plea agreement, on September 30, 2022, Hornsby was stopped for a traffic violation and was arrested by law enforcement because of an active warrant. Law enforcement found a loaded handgun, 16.8 grams of methamphetamine, and over $500 in his pocket. Hornsby admitted that he intended to distribute some portion of methamphetamine to others and he possessed the firearm to protect himself, his drugs, and his drug proceeds from robbery.
Hornsby pleaded guilty in May 2023.
Under federal law, Hornsby must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release, he will be under supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Tom Grau, Florence Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Florence Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke.
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Kennett Woman Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Thursday sentenced a woman from Kennett, Missouri to 10 years in prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Paula J. Laboone, 64, Laboone has previous felony convictions for possession of controlled substances in Dunklin County and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.
According to court documents, on January 30, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Laboone's residence. Numerous bags and baggies containing over two pounds of methamphetamine packaged for sale were seized from the living room and bedroom of the residence. Additionally, a Taurus semi-automatic pistol was seized from the bedroom. Laboone was later interviewed and admitted to buying and selling methamphetamine for several months. She further admitted that the firearm was hers and she was aware she could not possess it.
This case was investigated by the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter handled the prosecution for the government.
Kanawha County Man Sentenced for COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tamir Pratt, 21, of Dunbar, was sentenced today to two years of federal probation and ordered to pay $7,833.99 in restitution for receipt of stolen money. Pratt admitted to a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of $20,832 in COVID-19 relief loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
According to court documents and statements made in court, Pratt applied for a PPP loan for his purported business, “Tamir Pratt,” in April 2021. Pratt admitted that “Tamir Pratt” was not in operation on February 15, 2020, though that was a requirement to qualify for a PPP loan, and he falsely certified that it was. Businesses applying for PPP loans were also required to provide documentation showing their prior gross income from either 2019 or 2020. Pratt admitted that he submitted a false IRS Form 1040, Schedule C, stating that “Tamir Pratt” had earned approximately $100,000 in gross income in 2020.
Pratt submitted the loan application electronically from West Virginia and it was uploaded to servers in Arizona for processing. Pratt’s loan application was approved and $20,832 was electronically transferred to his personal bank account on April 26, 2021. Pratt admitted that he withdrew $1,700 of the fraudulent loan proceeds in Charleston the same day and spent more than $460 of the proceeds.
The CARES Act, enacted in March 2020, offered emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This assistance included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP.
Pratt admitted that he did not spend the fraudulent loan proceeds on any permissible business expenses. Pratt further admitted that the SBA forgave his PPP loan on August 9, 2021. Of the $20,832 transferred to Pratt, $15,748.57 was recovered and returned to the SBA. The restitution amount includes $250.56 in loan interest and a $2,500 PPP fee paid by SBA to the lender that processed and underwrote Pratt’s loan application.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service, the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-38.
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Justice Department Sues Agri Stats for Operating Extensive Information Exchanges Among Meat ProcessorsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Agri Stats Inc. today for organizing and managing anticompetitive information exchanges among broiler chicken, pork and turkey processors. The complaint alleges that Agri Stats violated Section 1 of the Sherman Act by collecting, integrating and distributing competitively sensitive information related to price, cost and output among competing meat processors. This conduct harms customers, including grocery stores and American families.
The complaint, filed in the District of Minnesota, alleges that Agri Stats has for years produced comprehensive weekly and monthly reports for participating meat processors, which use the data to set prices and output levels. Spanning hundreds of pages, the reports contain recent data relating to sales prices, costs such as worker and farmer compensation and output that are often detailed by facility or company. Participating processors accounted for more than 90% of broiler chicken sales, 80% of pork sales and 90% of turkey sales in the United States. The complaint further alleges that Agri Stats understood that meat processors have used these reports for anticompetitive purposes and, in some instances, even encouraged meat processors to raise prices and reduce supply. While distributing troves of competitively sensitive information among participating processors, Agri Stats withholds its reports from meat purchasers, workers and American consumers, resulting in an information asymmetry that further exacerbates the competitive harm of Agri Stats’ information exchanges.
“The Justice Department is committed to addressing anticompetitive information exchanges that result in consumers paying more for chicken, pork and turkey,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “This case is the latest effort by the Justice Department to protect American consumers, farmers and workers from anticompetitive practices in the agriculture industry.”
The complaint alleges that Agri Stats’ scheme continues to this day in the chicken processing industry, among others. While Agri Stats paused its turkey and pork reporting after facing several private antitrust lawsuits, Agri Stats has expressed an intent to resume such reporting after these lawsuits’ resolution.
This lawsuit marks the latest action by the Antitrust Division to combat unlawful information exchanges. It follows a recent enforcement action (here and here) against four poultry processors as well as two facilitators for participating in a long-running conspiracy to suppress workers’ compensation in the poultry industry. In that case, the district court entered consent decrees enjoining the processors from exchanging competitively sensitive information and barring the facilitators from providing surveys or other services that enable direct competitors in any industry to share competitively sensitive information.
Anyone with information about collusion in agriculture industries, competitors sharing non-public price or compensation information or any other violations of the antitrust laws is encouraged to contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258 or [email protected]. Information about anticompetitive practices in livestock and poultry markets can also be submitted to the USDA and Justice Department’s Agricultural Markets Enforcement Partnership at www.farmerfairness.gov.
agri_stats_complaint.pdfJustice Department Secures Agreement with Janitorial Services Company to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination ClaimsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with Greene Kleen of South Florida Inc. (Greene Kleen), a janitorial services company based in Miami. The settlement agreement resolves the department’s determination that Greene Kleen violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against non-U.S. citizens when checking their permission to work in the United States.
“Employers cannot impose specific document requirements on workers to prove their permission to work that differ based on citizenship or immigration status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The department will not tolerate unlawful and discriminatory practices, which create unnecessary barriers to jobs for people who are just trying to make a living.”
The department’s investigation determined that, from at least Jan. 1, 2019, to Feb. 28, 2022, Greene Kleen routinely allowed U.S. citizens to choose which acceptable documentation to present to prove their permission to work but routinely required lawful permanent residents and other non-U.S. citizens to present only one kind of documentation.
Under the terms of the settlement, Greene Kleen will pay $140,000 in civil penalties to the United States, train its employees on the INA’s anti-discrimination requirements, revise its employment policies and be subject to monitoring by the department.
Federal law allows all workers to choose which valid, legally acceptable documentation to present to prove their identity and permission to work in the United States, regardless of citizenship status, immigration status or national origin. The INA’s anti-discrimination provision prohibits employers from asking for specific or unnecessary documents because of a worker’s citizenship status, immigration status or national origin. Indeed, many non-U.S. citizens, including lawful permanent residents, are eligible for several of the same types of documents to prove their permission to work as U.S. citizens are (for example, a state ID or driver’s license and an unrestricted Social Security card). Employers must allow workers to present whatever acceptable documentation the workers choose and cannot reject valid documentation that reasonably appears to be genuine and to relate to the worker.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee, unfair documentary practices and retaliation and intimidation.
Find more information on how employers can avoid discriminating when verifying someone’s permission to work on IER’s website. Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email [email protected]; sign up for a live webinar on watch an on-demand presentation; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe for email updates from IER.
greene_kleen-signed-settlement.pdfJustice Department Secures Agreement with California-Based Manufacturer to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination ClaimsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with Home and Body Company (Home and Body), a soap and lotions manufacturer based in Huntington Beach, California. The settlement resolves the department’s determination that Home and Body violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against non-U.S. citizens when checking their permission to work in the United States.
“Employers cannot limit the type of documents workers can use to prove their permission to work,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The department is committed to knocking down unlawful discriminatory barriers that make it harder for people to work in the United States.”
The department’s investigation determined that from at least Sept. 23, 2019, to Oct. 1, 2020, Home and Body routinely required lawful permanent residents to present a specific immigration document when checking their permission to work, based on their citizenship or immigration status.
Under the terms of the settlement, Home and Body will pay $130,000 in civil penalties to the United States, train its personnel on the INA’s requirements, review its employment policies and be subject to monitoring by the department.
Federal law allows all workers to choose which valid, legally acceptable documentation to present to prove their identity and permission to work, regardless of citizenship status, immigration status or national origin. The INA’s anti-discrimination provision prohibits employers from asking for specific or unnecessary documents because of a worker’s citizenship status, immigration status or national origin. Indeed, many non-U.S. citizens, including lawful permanent residents, are eligible for several of the same types of documents to prove their permission to work as U.S. citizens are (for example, a state ID or driver’s license and an unrestricted Social Security card). Employers must allow workers to present whatever acceptable documentation the workers choose and cannot reject valid documentation that reasonably appears to be genuine.
The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee, unfair documentary practices and retaliation and intimidation.
Find more information on how employers can avoid discrimination when verifying someone’s permission to work on IER’s website. Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video. Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge. The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); email [email protected]; sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Subscribe for email updates from IER.
home_and_body_settlement.pdfJustice Department Awards over $4.4 Billion to Support Community SafetyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it is awarding more than $4.4 billion to support state, local, and Tribal public safety and community justice activities. The grants, from the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), will help build community capacity to curb violence, serve victims and youth, and achieve fair outcomes through evidence-based criminal and juvenile justice strategies.
“Everyone in this country deserves to be safe in their communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why, in addition to continuing our efforts to identify and prosecute the most violent criminals, the Justice Department is putting every available resource to work to support the efforts of our law enforcement and community partners nationwide. This significant investment will go directly to state and local programs that support the victims of crime, support officer safety and wellness, build the public trust in law enforcement essential to public safety, and help make all of our communities safer.”
The more than 3,700 OJP grants being awarded this fiscal year will support state, local, and community-based efforts and evidence-based interventions that reduce violence, crime, and recidivism while delivering treatment and services to those at-risk of justice system involvement. Funding will expand partnerships between criminal justice professionals and behavioral health experts, help people safely and successfully transition from confinement back to their communities, reach crime victims in underserved areas, steer young people away from justice system contact, improve the management of sex offenders, and support a wide range of research and statistical activities that will help justice system professionals meet community safety challenges.
“Across the country, the Justice Department is working side-by-side with our partners in state and local law enforcement to combat violent crime by using our federal resources to amplify their work on the front lines,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The billions of dollars in grants announced today will augment those efforts and the tools law enforcement is using to curb violence, counter deadly drug abuse, and promote safety and public trust. Together with our state and local partners, the Department will continue to do everything we can to protect the communities we all serve.”
“The Department of Justice is investing in community-based approaches to violence prevention, law enforcement health and wellness, Tribal courts, improved services for victims, research and data collection efforts, reentry programs, and much more,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The grants announced today further our commitment to working with our state, Tribal, and local partners to increase public safety, build police-community trust, and ensure safe, healthy, and just communities for all.”
“Every sector of our society — not only the justice system, but nonprofit and faith-based groups, local leaders, and advocates, and people with lived experience who serve as credible messengers — plays a critical role in ensuring public safety and public health,” said OJP Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon. “The Office of Justice Programs is proud to make these substantial investments in building community infrastructure and supporting communities as co-producers of safety and justice.”
Grants will support five major community safety and justice priorities:
- Awards totaling more than $1 billion will promote safety and strengthen trust, helping communities tackle the proliferation of gun violence in America and restore bonds of trust between community residents and the justice system. Grants will support innovative and evidence-based strategies designed to prevent and reduce violent crime, support the health and safety of law enforcement and public safety professionals, promote rehabilitation and reentry success, and address the rise in hate crimes across the country.
- More than $437 million in grant awards will accelerate justice system reforms designed to achieve equal justice and fair treatment for all. Grants will expand access to services among historically underserved and marginalized communities, reduce counterproductive involvement in the justice system, increase opportunities for diversion, and build pathways to treatment for people with substance use and mental health disorders.
- Over $192 million will improve the fairness and effectiveness of the juvenile justice system by supporting developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive interventions for youth. Funding will ensure that young people are served at home in their communities whenever possible, are equipped to transition to a healthy adulthood free of crime, and are protected from violence and abuse.
- More than $1.7 billion will expand access to victim services by investing in programs that provide trauma-informed and culturally responsive services to victims. Funding will support thousands of local victim assistance programs across the country and victim compensation programs in every state and U.S. territory, while helping these programs build their capacity to reach those disproportionately affected by crime and victimization.
- Over $418 million in awards will advance science and innovation to strengthen the base of knowledge that policymakers and practitioners can use to design and deploy effective community safety strategies. Awards will support research and data collection on a wide range of public safety issues, help maintain timely and accurate criminal history records, and improve the capacity of crime labs and forensic analysts to solve crimes, absolve the innocent, and deliver justice to victims.
In addition, OJP will award more than $611 million to continue its support of other previously funded programs and congressionally directed spending. More information about the awards announced today can be found by visiting www.ojp.gov/funding/fy23awards.
Ithaca-Area Man Sentenced on Child Pornography ConvictionsRead the Press Release
BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK – Randolph Bullock, age 67, of Dryden, New York, was sentenced yesterday to serve 97 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Acting Special Agent in Charge Alfred Watson of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As a part of his prior guilty plea, Bullock admitted that in January of 2018 and April of 2021, he possessed images of child pornography on three separate devices, including images of prepubescent minors.
In reaching its sentence, the Court found that the defendant had committed a prior pattern of activity involving the sexual abuse or exploitation of two minor children who were four and six years old at the time of the conduct.
United States District Court Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also sentenced Bullock to 20 years of supervised release following his term of incarceration, and ordered him to pay restitution of $3,000.00 each to two of the children whose images he possessed. Upon release from imprisonment, Bullock must also register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York State Police, Tompkins County Sheriff’s Department, Village of Dryden Police Department and the Tompkins County District Attorney’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Grabowski as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Insider Trader Who Abused His Position at Capital One Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A foreign national formerly of Henrico pleaded guilty today to conspiracy and insider trading.
According to court documents, Nan Huang, 44, conspired with his then-coworker to commit insider trading. From 2008 to 2015, Huang worked as a senior data analyst for a subsidiary of Capital One Financial Corporation. As a senior data analyst, Huang had access to a Capital One database that collected transaction data from Capital One credit card and debit card customers. In violation of his fiduciary duties to Capital One, Huang searched this database thousands of times and compiled on his work computer material, nonpublic information about publicly traded companies. Because this information was highly correlated with the not-yet-public actual revenue of these companies, Huang was able to predict whether these companies would meet their revenue expectations. Huang then executed hundreds of trades using this non-public information and reaped extraordinary profits. Huang personally made over $1.4 million in profits and the conspiracy made over $3.1 million.
Capital One fired Huang in 2015 after it discovered his activity. Days later, Huang fled the country to China where he remained until his arrest at San Francisco International Airport earlier this year.
Huang is scheduled to be sentenced on February 2, 2024. He faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Kareem A. Carter, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge T. S. Ellis, III accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Hood and Zachary Ray is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:18-cr-319.
Houma Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Stage Automobile AccidentsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that JOSEPH BREWTON (“BREWTON”), age 57, of Houma, Louisiana, was sentenced on September 27, 2023 in United States District Court on one count of Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.
According to court documents, BREWTON was a passenger in a staged automobile collision in August, 2015. Thereafter, he recruited family members and friends to participate as passengers in staged automobile collisions with tractor-trailers on March 27, 2017 and May 11, 2017. The passengers in these collisions filed fraudulent lawsuits falsely claiming that the tractor-trailers were at fault. Through this scheme, BREWTON caused a loss of approximately $392,742.77.
U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced BREWTON to 18 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. BREWTON was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $554,638.73. Judge Milazzo also imposed a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Louisiana State Police, and the Metropolitan Crime Commission with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria M. Carboni, Edward Rivera and Brandon S. Long of the Financial Crimes Unit as well as Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Hospice Medical Director Sentenced for $150M Hospice Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A hospice medical director was sentenced yesterday to four years and two months in prison for his role in a scheme that involved the submission of over $150 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for hospice and other health care services.
According to court documents, from 2009 to 2018, Jesus Virlar-Cadena, 52, served as the medical director of the Merida Group, a large health care company that operated dozens of locations throughout Texas. Evidence at the trial of co-defendants Rodney Mesquias, Henry McInnis, and Francisco Pena, showed that the Merida Group marketed their hospice programs through a group of companies known as the Merida Group. They enrolled patients with long-term incurable diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia, as well as patients with limited mental capacity who lived at group homes, nursing homes, and in housing projects. In some instances, Merida Group marketers falsely told patients they had less than six months to live. They also sent chaplains to the patients based on the false pretense they were near death.
In order to bill Medicare for these services, the Merida Group hired Virlar and other medical directors, but made payment of their medical director fees contingent upon an agreement to certify unqualified patients for hospice. In addition to regular medical director payments, Virlar received luxury trips, bottle service at exclusive nightclubs, and other perks in exchange for his certification of unnecessary hospice patients. In exchange for these illegal kickbacks, Virlar himself certified over $18 million in unnecessary hospice services as part of the over $150 million conspiracy.
Mesquias was previously sentenced to 20 years in prison and McInnis was previously sentenced to 15 years in prison. Pena passed away before sentencing.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
HHS-OIG, the FBI, and Texas Health and Human Services Commission investigated the case.
Principal Assistant Chief Jacob Foster and former Trial Attorney Kevin Lowell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Swartz for the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
Harrisburg Man Charged with Attempted Coercion and Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jesse Deitzler, age 44, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was charged yesterday by a federal grand jury with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Deitzler attempted to coerce and entice a minor to engage in sexual activity on February 10, 2022, in Dauphin County.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lower Paxton Township Police Department, and Dauphin County Human Trafficking Task Force. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Varley is prosecuting the case.
Deitzler faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Hardin man admits distributing meth as part of large-scale trafficking organization based on Crow Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Hardin man accused of selling methamphetamine as part of an investigation into large-scale drug trafficking based on the Crow Indian Reservation admitted to a distribution crime today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Anthony Springfield, 22, pleaded guilty to distribution of meth. Springfield faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Jan. 31, 2024. Springfield was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that federal law enforcement, in a collaborative effort with local and tribal law enforcement, investigated large-scale, multiple-state narcotics trafficking activity centered on multiple properties on the Crow Indian Reservation. The properties, including one referred to as Spear Siding, were a source of supply of meth for both the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservations. Springfield is one of the individuals affiliated with the investigation. The government further alleged that in November 2022, law enforcement purchased meth from Springfield.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Guyanese Citizen Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Scheme to Import Cocaine to United StatesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Guyanese citizen was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to import drugs into the United States, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Dennis Edwards, aka “Death,” 38, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman to a superseding information charging him with one count of conspiring to import over 20 kilograms of cocaine into the United States. Judge Hillman imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In 2012, Edwards was part of a criminal conspiracy that arranged to import cocaine into the United States via cruise ship. Edwards was arrested on Nov. 14, 2022, when he arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport after having been deported from the Dominican Republic.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Hillman sentenced Edwards to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Kurtz; deputies of the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos, Jr., and officers with Customs and Border Protection, New York Field Office, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Francis J. Russo, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. U.S. Attorney Sellinger thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for its substantial assistance in the investigation. He also thanked officials in the Dominican Republic for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachelle M. Navarro of the Criminal Division in Newark.
Gurley Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Daniel D. Konruff, 45, of Gurley, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for possession of child pornography. Konruff was sentenced to 120 months in prison and will also serve 16 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Additionally, Konruff was ordered to pay $4,000 in restitution to victims of his crimes.
On May 13, 2022, Konruff’s personal cellphone was reviewed by a Cheyenne County Nebraska probation officer pursuant to the conditions of Konruff’s state probation. The probation officer observed child pornography on the device. The device was seized, and a search warrant was obtained to download and further review the phone’s contents. The forensic download revealed multiple child pornography files. Konruff was convicted in 2017, in case #CR17-13 in the District Court for Cheyenne County, Nebraska, with two counts of attempted possession of child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cheyenne County Sheriff’s Office, and Kearney Police Department.